Key Findings

Liberal-National coalition remains the party of choice for the majority of foreign policy issues

Labor Party is preferred to handle climate change and has gained ground on other issues

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In an early release of select results from the Lowy Institute Poll 2019, the Liberal-National Coalition holds a clear lead over the Labor Party on five out of nine key foreign policy issues.

The majority of Australians prefer the Coalition over Labor in relation to maintaining the alliance with the United States, national security, economic management, asylum seekers, and immigration policy.

However, the Coalition’s lead is narrower than prior to the 2016 election, when the Coalition was favoured over Labor on seven of eight foreign policy issues.

Labor is preferred on one issue – managing Australia’s response to climate change – with a significant lead over the Coalition in this policy area.

Australians are divided as to whether the Coalition or Labor would do a better job of managing foreign investment in Australia, managing foreign influence in Australia’s political processes and managing Australia’s relations with China. Labor has gained ground since the 2016 election and now matches the Coalition on the issues of foreign investment and managing relations with China.

More Australians have confidence in Prime Minister Scott Morrison (58%) to 'do the right thing regarding world affairs' than in Opposition Leader Bill Shorten (52%). But both candidates inspire less confidence than former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (63% in 2018).

Natasha Kassam, Lowy Institute Research Fellow, said “The Coalition are traditionally the party of choice on foreign policy, and this year is no different. But Labor has narrowed the gap and is preferred two-to-one for its climate change policies. The China relationship and foreign interference will test the party that forms government after 18 May, but Australians are split as to who would do a better job managing these key issues.”

The 2019 Lowy Institute Poll reports the results of a nationally representative online and telephone survey conducted on behalf of the Lowy Institute by the Social Research Centre between 12 and 25 March 2019 with a sample size of 2130 Australian adults. On a simple random sample of 2130 responses, the margin of error is approximately 2.1%. Where a complex sample is used, the 'design effect' measures the additional variance in comparison with a simple random sample. The design effect for this survey is estimated at 2.40.

Table of results

2019 Election

Thinking now about the Australian federal election which will be held later this year. Which of the two major parties, either the Liberal-Nationals Coalition or the Labor Party, do you personally think would do a better job of handling each of the following issues?

Liberal-Nationals Coalition

Labor Party

2013

2016

2019

2013

2016

2019

Maintaining a strong alliance with the United States

53%

57%

59%

26%

25%

31%

Ensuring Australia’s national security is maintained

55%

53%

53%

24%

29%

39%

Managing the Australian economy over time

61%

53%

52%

25%

31%

39%

Handling the arrival of asylum seekers by boat

57%

47%

49%

25%

35%

43%

Managing Australia’s immigration policy

48%

43%

Managing foreign investment in Australia

59%

50%

46%

24%

33%

46%

Managing foreign influence in Australian political processes

46%

44%

Managing Australia’s relations with China

40%

47%

44%

44%

35%

47%

Managing Australia’s response to climate change

40%

31%

32%

45%

52%

59%

Confidence in world leaders

Here is a list of political leaders. For each, please indicate how much confidence you have in each leader to do the right thing regarding world affairs – a lot of confidence, some confidence, not too much confidence or no confidence at all.